...Ford will have no input into any Visteon decisions, they no longer own it. Visteon was "spun-off" a few years ago and has lost a great deal of the business they did for Ford. The wonders of competitive bidding....
FoMoCo needs SAI like a SARS victim needs pneumonia. There is no chance of the "Cobra" being a profit center in a company the size of Ford, the initeria and overhead would eat up any chance of profit. I am sure that DC/Dodge do not turn a real profit on the Viper, it is used as Shelbys were in the 60's-as a promotional means, no different than buying TV commercials but via a means that reaches a different market and customer profile. Ford will not turn a profit on the new GT yet they can justify it as a promotional expense. How much would the press coverage and magazine space have cost?
SAI would have much greater value if the Series 1 were more desireable and had a bigger impact in the market. As it is it is sort of a Morgan type car, some are really enamoured of it, others pay it no attention. Because the Cobra cannot be sold as a completed car due to regulations it will never make a real dent in the market the way a contemporary, certified car can. Plus if your product can not be sold by real dealers your market potentail is reduced. This is not a knock on many of the people who sell componet cars for SAi, Superformance and others, some are very sharp and some do a superb job of customer service. I would be pleased to have some of them deal with me. Some however are little removed form Bubba's Shadetree Auto Repair and Fillin' Station. Not the type of representation you want for an "upmarket" product.
I have been involved with some attempted start-up automotive operations and have seen PROPER marketing research to identify potential customers. I think most Vulture capitalists would laugh at the estimated Cobra market!
Rick
